As requested by the county council and previously provided to the Owen County Board of Commissioners, the Owen County Council reviewed a list of county building upgrade projects assembled by county maintenance supervisor Sam Hobbs on Monday evening.

Hobbs was accompanied by prosecutor’s office detective Dan McBride and Video, Voice & Data representative Dennis Lambert as they spoke to the council about upgrading exterior and interior security cameras at the courthouse.

The estimated cost of $19,000 would include the addition of 10 exterior and 10 interior cameras, as well as additional cameras needed in the stairwell system. However, it was noted that the cost would be covered by an emergency preparedness grant, if received, through the Owen County Health Depart.

Moving on, the council voted 6-1 to fund the $4,000 purchase of a sewer machine to clean drainage lines, and the $5,000 purchase price for a 48” steel access door for the boiler and HVAC room at the Owen County Security Center.

Hobbs noted that the county should have approximately $150,000 remaining from funds set aside for the ongoing courthouse ADA accessibility improvement project, adding that those funds could be used to help fund a 2013 project to replace all windows at the courthouse. He said the current windows contribute to an estimated 35 to 40 percent heat loss in the winter months.

The project list includes improvements and upgrades through 2016.

The council was also visited by Owen County Sheriff Chester Richardson III and OneAmerica Client Services Manager Stanley Brown concerning the OCSD’s retirement plan with McCready and Keen, Inc. It was noted that the plan has been under funded since 2008, with a current shortfall of approximately $500,000. Brown added that a onetime payment of $500,000 would essentially eliminate past service liability. The council noted they would take the issue under advisement until the board’s next meeting in November.

In appropriations, Owen County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Denise Shaw approached the board to request additional funding related to the ongoing project to develop a new location for Hoosier Energy on State Road 43 South.

The council had advertised to appropriate up to $5,000 for the request and voted 7-0 to fund parttime help to facilitate the project for the final 12 weeks of 2012 at a cost of $3,600, as well as reimburse additional expenses related to the project totaling $1,400. The council also voted 7-0 to advertise an additional appropriation of $2,652.33 to reimburse the remaining additional expenses in November.

Shaw said, to date, the project has reached approximately $17,000 over budget. That amount, Shaw noted, has been covered by fundraising efforts and the Town of Spencer. She added that engineering estimates will soon be available, with the cost to be covered by bonds for the project.

The council also noted that the part-time position to help facilitate the project in 2013 will be revisited in December and each quarter thereafter.

Shaw also scheduled a work session with the council, the Owen County Redevelopment Commission and Umbaugh & Associates to discuss the project. The meeting was set for Thursday, October 18, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Room, located on the second floor of the Owen County Courthouse.

Visited by Owen County Clerk Jeff Brothers, the council weighed more appropriation requests. The first request was for a $3,600 shortfall, related to workers for absentee voting, advertised for September. The council voted 7-0 to fund the request.

The council cast another 7-0 vote to advertise for the amount of $2,155 to reimburse an employee line item for back pay for vacation and compensation time for a former employee.

Brothers also spoke to the council about his desire to contract with a government search engine in order to locate individuals with unclaimed monies as well as those who have outstanding court fees. However, a lengthy discussion ended in a 3-4 vote to postpone the discussion until November and a 2-5 vote against allowing Brothers to pay for the $1,560 contract out of the clerk’s perpetuation fund.

The council also spoke briefly with Owen County Treasurer Tami Snodgrass regarding a new county investment policy, voting 6-1 to adopt the policy.

Related to the ongoing ADA accessibility improvement project, the council voted 7-0 to pay invoices totaling $8,050 from the county’s Rainy Day Fund.

Revisiting the county’s 2013 budget, the council voted 7-0 to adopt a total budget of $10,331,244, which includes an operating balance of $4,914,103 and a levy amount of $3,034,314, which will be submitted to the State of Indiana for approval.

The Owen County Council will meet again on Monday, November 12, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Room.